This invention relates to electrostatographic reproduction machines, and, more particularly, to such a machine having a machine user clearable stapler assembly including a convenience stapler.
Generally, the process of electrostatographic reproduction includes uniformly charging an image frame of a moving photoconductive member, or photoreceptor, to a substantially uniform potential, and imagewise discharging it or imagewise exposing it to light reflected from an original image being reproduced. The result is an electrostatically formed latent image on the image frame of the photoconductive member. For multiple original images, several such frames are similarly imaged. The latent image so formed on each frame is developed by bringing a charged developer material into contact therewith. Two-component and single-component developer materials are commonly used. A typical two-component developer material comprises magnetic carrier particles, also known as "carrier beads," having fusable charged toner particles adhering triboelectrically thereto. A single component developer material typically comprises charged toner particles only. In either case, the fusable charged toner particles when brought into contact with each latent image, are attracted to such image, thus forming a toner image on the photoconductive member. The toner image is subsequently transferred to an image receiver copy sheet which is then passed through a fuser apparatus where the toner image is heated and permanently fused to the copy sheet forming a hard copy of each of the original images.
As disclosed for example in U.S. Pat. No. 5,338,017 it is known to provide an electrostatographic reproduction machine of the above type, for example, with sorting and finishing apparatus for arranging copy sheets fused as above into sets, and for binding or stapling together the sheets in each such set. As further disclosed, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,094,379, such stapling together can be achieved by using a convenience stapler, or stapling apparatus assembly that is partially built into the frame of the machine for the user's or customer's convenience. To use a convenience stapling apparatus assembly as such, a user or customer must manually pick up and align a set of copy sheets to be stapled, and insert the set of sheets through an available slot into the stapler or stapling head of the stapling apparatus assembly. When properly inserted, the set of sheets will be stapled in the same manner as on a stand-alone powered stapling device.
As it is the case with all such stapling devices, staple jams do occur within the stapling head of such a convenience stapling apparatus. Current designs, of both the convenience stapler or stapling apparatus, and of its mounting members within a portion of the machine frame, do not allow the user to clear staple jams. Ordinarily, because the convenience stapler or stapling apparatus assembly is partially built into the frame of the reproduction machine, a staple jam in the stapling head of the stapling apparatus typically is not customer clearable, and instead requires the services of a skilled field service technician to clear. The undesirable results are usually stapling apparatus downtime while waiting for such a technician, and customer dissatisfaction.
There has therefore been a need for a safe and economical convenience stapling apparatus assembly that is customer clearable, thus avoiding the above undesirable results.